The Conservative Party has formally revised its historical timeline to confirm that "old school" Conservative values existed from 1979 to 2010, vanished completely for fourteen years, and resumed in 2025. The new periodization was established following leader Kemi Badenoch's declaration that she represents classic Conservative principles while acknowledging her party's recent government "failed because it did not know what it stood for."
Party historians completed the official reclassification over the weekend, designating 2010 to 2024 as a distinct era separate from authentic Conservative tradition. The period, now formally categorized as "The Interregnum" in party documentation, will be treated as a cautionary interruption rather than a continuation of Conservative governance. Materials from those fourteen years have been relocated from the heritage section of the conference bookshop to a new area labeled "Lessons in What Happens When We Govern."
The reclassification resolves the apparent contradiction between championing traditional values and repudiating the party's entire record while in office. Under the new framework, policies implemented during The Interregnum, including the growth of the state by stealth and the net creation of 500 prison places across fourteen years, are considered outside the scope of genuine Conservative philosophy. The party's essay collection now includes a temporal disclaimer noting that Conservative principles were "not in effect" during the years Conservatives held power.
Badenoch clarified the distinction during members' discussions, explaining that classic Conservative values specifically refer to the period before implementation became necessary. The designation allows the party to claim ideological continuity with Margaret Thatcher while maintaining that nothing done by Conservative governments since 2010 reflects actual Conservative governance. Party officials confirmed that pledges to deliver 50,000 new prison places and reduce the civil service represent a return to authentic principles untested by the complications of office holding.
The temporal revision has been incorporated into all conference materials, with banners now reading "Back to Traditional Values We Never Actually Applied."